1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container assembly for refrigerating, heating, and storing substances for subsequent usage and a method of refrigerating, heating, and storing using the concepts of the present invention. More specifically, the present invention is primarily intended as a container assembly for storing a substance in a temperature controlled environment whereby the target substance is contained within a first container and the first container is nestedly received in a second container. The second container houses a temperature-maintaining substance for maintaining the internal temperature of the first container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The process of lowering a temperature and maintaining it in a given space for the purpose of chilling foods or preserving certain substances is commonly known as refrigeration. By placing a given temperature-controlled substance into a lowered temperature environment and maintaining the same in a desired ambient temperature, the resultant refrigeration checks both bacterial growth and adverse chemical reactions that would otherwise occur in normal atmosphere. The use of natural or manufactured ice for refrigeration purposes was widespread the world over until the early 1900's when mechanical or electric refrigerators became available, but is still commonly used to maintain temperature-controlled substances in a chilled ambient temperature. Ice or frozen water owes its effectiveness as a cooling agent to the fact that it has a constant fusion temperature of 0 Celcius (32 Fahrenheit). Other temperature-maintaining substances such as solid carbon dioxide (dry ice) have also proven to be effective refrigerants. Dry ice, for example, has no liquid phase at normal atmospheric temperature and sublimes directly from a solid state to a vapor phase at a temperature of −78.5 Celcius (−109.3 Fahrenheit). It is during this period of sublimation that solid carbon dioxide is effective for maintaining temperature-controlled products in low ambient temperatures.
The vapor of a substance refers to the gaseous state of a given substance. If confined at any temperature, the vapor emitted from any substance exerts pressure known as vapor pressure, and as the temperature of the substance is raised, the vapor pressure increases as a result of increased evaporation. When the local vapor pressure above a liquid becomes equal to the total pressure because of heat, boiling will occur. For most solids at ordinary temperatures and pressures, the vapor pressure is small or negligible. A finite vapor pressure exists, however, as the presence of water vapor over ice demonstrates.
Modern developments in refrigeration, heating, and storage techniques have provided various devices for maintaining temperature-controlled substances in a chilled or heated state so as to prepare the temperature-controlled substance for subsequent use. In this last regard, edible matter or food is often the target temperature-controlled substance and it is with this backdrop that the present invention is presented. The present invention harnesses the properties inherent in given temperature-maintaining matter, particularly the vapor pressure, for chilling or heating temperature-controlled substances for subsequent usage. Preferably, the present invention is intended as a serving vessel for mealtime.
In this last regard, it is noted that meals comprise not only the act or the time of eating a portion of food to satisfy an appetite, but often further comprise a social engagement in which situation those dining take pleasure in the visual experience of the meal as well as the edible quality of the meal. As is well known in the culinary arts, the visual presentation of a meal is a paramount consideration to the overall dining experience. Thus, in its basic form and function, the present invention incorporates specific materials and structure to form an aesthetically pleasing appearance, which results in a novel container assembly for storing substances in a preferred ambient temperature.
Among food items requiring refrigeration, heating, and storage are butter, margarine, and other similar spreads. The preservation of butter and the like present unique problems, not applicable to other condiments, such as ketchup, salt, sugar and so forth. For example, when using butter or similar other spreads in cooking, the butter and spreads are often required to be melted or soften prior to their addition to the recipe. However, when served directly at the meal, butter or similar other spreads are usually required to be chilled and maintained in a solid state. In an effort to provide for these requirements, many devices have been developed in an effort to provide an apparatus for maintaining temperature-controlled substances in a refrigerated or heated ambient temperature, some of which are described hereinafter.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,507,425 ('425 Patent), which issued to Swartout, discloses a Double Bowl and Cover. The Double Bowl and Cover discloses a two-bowl and cover assemblage, in which a first bowl is nestedly received in a second bowl. Support tab members on the second bowl hold receive and support similarly placed suspension tab members on the first bowl such that when nested, a relatively uniform space is provided between the outer surface of the inner bowl and the inner space of the second bowl. It is contemplated that a water jacket fills the relatively uniform space for maintaining the target temperature-controlled substance in a desired ambient temperature. It will thus be seen, however, that the '425 Patent does not teach the use of porous material in the construction of the double bowl assemblage nor does the '425 Patent teach the application of vapor-impervious glazed coating on critically-select portions of the porous material for allowing vapor from the water jacket to permeate through the porous material in a controlled manner for improving the temperature-maintaining characteristics of the Double Bowl and Cover.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,130,288 ('288 Patent) and 3,241,706 ('706 Patent), which issued to Monaco et al., disclose Food-Service Devices. The Food Service-Devices each disclose the use of a deep pan for retaining temperature-maintaining matter such as heated or chilled water bath and at least one smaller tray-shaped container for supporting food items above the water bath. The tray-shaped container may be nestedly placed into the deep pan, which smaller tray-shaped containers are enclosed by a translucent, preferably dome-shaped cover or lid, for the visual benefit of passersby. The temperature-maintaining substance thus contributes to the maintenance of a desired temperature in the enclosed tray-shaped containers. Neither the '288 Patent nor the '706 Patent teach the use of porous material in the construction of the deep pan, smaller tray-shaped containers, or translucent dome-shaped lid. Furthermore, neither the '288 Patent nor the '706 Patent teach the application of vapor-impervious glazed coating on critically-select portions of the deep pan, smaller tray-shaped container or cover for allowing vapor from the water bath to permeate through porous material in a controlled manner for improving the temperature-maintaining characteristics of the Food-Service Devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,916 ('916 Patent), which issued to Alpert, discloses a Food Containerization assembly. This invention teaches an insulated food container having an outer vessel formed in part of heat-resistant materials, which outer vessel comprises an upper peripheral ledge. An inner vessel, adapted to hold food, has a peripheral flange, which flange rests on the peripheral ledge and thus disposes the inner vessel in gapped relation to the outer vessel member. The gapped relation structurally results in an insulative layer of air between the inner and outer vessel members. The container is closed by a lid having suitable means to sealably engage the rim portion of the outer vessel member and has a conically-shaped portion, the vertex of which is fracturable under high internal pressure to provide relief of the vapor pressure that may accumulate within the sealed container. It will thus be seen that the '916 Patent does not teach the use of porous material in the construction of the outer vessel member, the inner vessel member, or the lid member. It will be further seen that the '916 Patent does not teach the application of vapor-impervious glazed coating on critically-select portions of the outer vessel member, inner vessel member or lid for allowing vapor in the insulative layer of air between the inner and outer vessel members to permeate through porous material in a controlled manner for improving the temperature-maintaining characteristics of the Food Containerization assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,586 ('586 Patent), which issued to Lyons, discloses a Refrigerated Butter Dish, known in the marketplace as the BUTTER BELL CROCK™ brand butter dish. The Refrigerated Butter Dish comprises a receptacle for containing crushed ice and an invertable cover unit which has on one side thereof a handle for lifting the cover and on the other an outwardly extending tapered skirt defining interiorly thereof a butter receiving chamber. When the dispenser is not being used, the cover is positioned so that the skirt portion depends inwardly of the receptacle, keeping the butter contained therein in close proximity with the crushed ice. When it is desired to remove the butter from the dispenser, the cover is inverted so that the skirt portion extends upwardly, making the butter chamber readily accessible to the user. The '586 Patent thus discloses that the skirt must be inverted 180 degrees for removing the butter and returned to an upside-down position for storing the butter against the ice. The '586 Patent thus further shows that the Refrigerated Butter Dish is susceptible to mixing of the butter with any melted ice and is impractical for refrigerating melted or softened butter, which may fall out of the skirt when turned upside-down. In this last regard, it is further noted that butter may easily become contaminated by coming into contact with the ice water solution in the receptacle for containing crushed ice, which is a notable disadvantage of the Refrigerated Butter Dish.
Furthermore, the '586 Patent does not teach the use of porous material in the construction of the receptacle for containing crushed ice or the invertable cover member. Further, the '586 Patent does not teach the application of vapor-impervious glazed coating on critically-select portions of the receptacle for containing crushed ice or the invertable cover member for allowing vapor from the space between the crushed ice receptacle and the invertable cover member to permeate through the interstitial pores of the structure in a controlled manner for improving the temperature-maintaining characteristics of the Refrigerated Butter Dish.
Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,274 ('274 Patent), which issued to Freedland, discloses a Container for the Storage and Serving of Food Products comprising an outer bowl, and an inner bowl receivable within the outer bowl such that a space is defined between the outer and inner bowls for containing ice or hot packs for cooling or heating the walls of the inner bowl. The device of the '274 Patent further comprises a drain assembly for selectively draining excess salad dressing or water out of the inner bowl. The drain assembly is formed in part from a bottom wall portion of the inner bowl and a drain cover plate that is slidably mounted over the wall portion. Both the bottom wall portion of the inner bowl and the drain cover plate include mutually registrable patterns of drain ports which may be slidably moved into alignment when drainage of the inner bowl is desired. However, the usage of a drain system in the bottom of the inner bowl can allow for melted or softened food products, like butter and spread, to spill or drain unnecessarily or unwantingly from the device of the '274 Patent. Thus, it will be seen that the '274 Patent does not teach the use of porous material in the construction of the outer or inner bowl members. Further, the '274 Patent does not teach the application of vapor-impervious glazed coating on critically-select portions of the outer and inner bowl member for allowing chilled or heated vapors from the space between the outer and inner bowl members to permeate through porous material in a controlled manner for improving the temperature-maintaining characteristics of the Container for the Storage and Serving of Food Products.
It is noted that none of the prior art teaches a container assembly comprising nested elements and a lid member, wherein the nested elements and lid member are constructed from porous materials and which porous material is coated with a vapor-impervious glazed coating glazing. Further, none of the prior art teaches a container assembly which comprises vapor-impervious glazed coating on critically select portions of the nested elements for controlling the path of permeating vapor. In this regard, vapor from temperature-maintaining matter located in the space between nested elements, although present in the prior art systems, has not been shown to be harnessed for improving the maintenance of temperature in the chamber holding temperature-controlled substances. The prior art thus perceives a need for a container assembly comprising porous materials, which when coated with a vapor-impervious glazed coating glazing on critically select portions of the individual components, directs permeating vapor through the interstitial pores of the structure for improving the temperature-maintaining characteristics of the container assembly.